Scroll-scanning device



Aug. 19, 1969 J. n. PERKINS 3,461,532

SCROLL-SCANNING DEVICE I Filed May 25, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvsm-onJbwv E. PER/(INS Aug. 19, 1969 J. R. PERKINS SCROLL-SCANNING DEVICE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1967 INVENTOR Jo /v A. PEEK/NS AzZRNEYS EUnited States Patent 3,461,582 SCROLL-SCANNING DEVICE John. R. Perkins,Wayne, Maine 04284 Filed May 25, 1967, Ser. No. 641,382 Int. Cl. G091?11/28; B65h 17/.02 US. CI. 40-31 11 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThis invention is concerned with a ready electrically operated selectivedisplay of a length of scroll material between two reels. The mechanismis simple and foolproof and provides independent adjustments for take-upspeed and for rewind speed. The arrangement is such that the drivemechanism for one direction of scroll movement in no sense interfereswith that which may have been selected for the other direction.

My invention relates to a scroll-scanning device having particularapplication to an educational or teaching machine, and in particular forthose devices employed by the teacher to check the corrections orcomments of the student on an elongated scroll containing the studentswork.

When teaching machines of the character indicated employ large scrollsof teaching and work-product material, it becomes burdensome for theteacher to manually manipulate the scroll in order to examine andevaluate the students performance or the fidelity of the studentscorrection of his own answers, where the span between take-up and supplyreels of the scroll may be of relatively short extent or, for example,as large as 30 inches; and it is also difiicult or burdensome, in a caseof a large scroll, to obtain ready access to a particular desiredlocation along the length of the scroll for careful evaluation. Nosatisfactory device for handling the situation is known to applicant.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improvedscroll examining or scanning device eliminating much of the manualmanipulation otherwise required for the teacher.

It is a specific object to provide a scroll-scanning device includingselectively operable electric controls for driving one to the exclusionof the other of two spaced scroll-supporting spindles between which anelongated length of scroll material is stretched for examination.

It is a general object to meet the foregoing objects with a structurewhich is inherently inexpensive, of simple construction, and fool-proofin operation.

Other objects and various further features of novelty and invention willbe pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a readingof the following specification in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. In said drawings which show, for illustrative purposes only,preferred forms of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a simplified view in perpsective of a portable scroll-scanningdevice of the invention shown supported on a table ready for use, mostof the mechanism being hidden by the external housing parts;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of elements and mechanisms containedwithin the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a simplified side view of the scroll-supporting layout in FIG.2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken generally at the plane 4-4of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a simplified view generally in the style of FIG. 2 but showinga fragment of the mechanism in order to illustrate a modification; and

FIG. 6 is a simplified fragmentary view of modified drive mechanism.

3,461,582 Patented Aug. 19, 1969 Briefly stated, the inventioncontemplates the spaced rotary support of take-up and supply (orpay-out) ends of a scroll with a substantial length of the scrollsupported on an elongated flat observing platten or surface, and meansfor the simple electrically controlled manipulation of the scrollmaterial so as to minimize the mechanical inconvenience of shifting fromone region to another on the scroll for examination of its informationcontent. In the forms to be described, independent drive mechanism isprovided for each scroll spindle, and the arrangement is such thateither one or the other (but not both) of the drive mechanisms isengaged, depending upon the selected operation of a single actuatormechanism. Provision is made for simple adjustment of scroll drivingspeed, dependent upon whether pay-out or rewind functions are involved.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the invention is shown inapplication to a device which may be portable and contained within asimple elongated generally prismatic housing, having a base 10 to restupon a table top and a normally fixed housing enclosure 11 to whichmovable housing enclosure 12 is hingedly related. The hinged part of thestructure includes an elongated depressed or recessed region 14 havingan opening or window 15 through which a portion of scroll material 16 isdirectly accessible for reading or for the making of handwrittencommentary. In the form shown, upstanding enlarged parts 17-18 of thehinged portion of the enclosure 12 constitute covers for pay-out andtake-up reels 19-20 (FIGS. 2 and 3) for the scroll material 16.

As far as the operator is concerned, he is presented with but a singleactuating switch 21 normally centrally positioned in a non-actuatingsituation and movable in one direction to determine forward movement ofthe scroll material 16 and in the opposite direction to determinereverse or rewind movement of the scroll material 16. The legends F andR in FIG. 1 suggest the selectively available positions. A speed-controladjustment for one of the directions of scroll movement is available bysetting a manual knob 22 as will be more full explained below,

In the form of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the mechanism contained within thehousing of FIG. 1 includes spaced spindles 23-24, journaled in theirrespective bearings 26-26 in fixed relation to the frame or base 10. Itwill be understood that the reels 19-20 are removably positionable ontheir respective spindles 23-24 in such manner as to be driven inrotation upon drive of their respective sopporting spindles 23-24. Thespindles 23-24 are located to position scroll material 16 in preferablyflat horizontal adjacency to a supporting surface of platten 27 which inturn is fixed to or forms part of the base 10. Suitable guide means28-29 adjacent each spindle may be framebased as suggested at 30, inorder to make sure that scroll material paid out from reel 19 lies flatover platten 27 for the entire stretch between guides 28-29; the lengthof this span may, for example, be in the order of two to three feet.

In accordance with the invention, independent drives are selectivelyavailable for each of the two spindles 23- 24, and in the form of FIG. 2these drives are duplicates of each other and employ separate motormeans 32-32 independently associated with each of the two drivemechanisms. Drive is accomplished by edge-contact of a friction wheel ata selected radius against the radial face of a drive disc; in the caseof the drive mechanism for the take-up spindle 24, this comprises adrive disc 33 available for co-action with a drive wheel 34, which maybe rubber-tired, carried on a drive shaft 35 having universal-jointconnection at 36 to the output of motor 32; joint 36 may be merely ashort length of rubber tubing, snugly fitted at its ends to themotor-drive shaft and to the shaft 35. In the form shown, the drivemechanism, comprising the motor 32 and extending to the drive wheel 34,is all carried by a slide 37 guided by means 38 forming part of theframe or base 10. This mechanism as a whole is adjustably positionablealong the guide 38 by means of the knob 22 already identified, and knob22 is shown adjusting the threaded engagement of rod 33 in a nut 40 onthe slide 37. It will be appreciated that the longitudinal adjustmenteffected at 22 for slide 37 is operative to displace the axis of shaft35 generally radially with respect to the spindle 24.

The drive mechanism further comprises movable bearing means 42 locatedbetween the drive wheel 34 and the universal-joint 36, and meansincluding a solenoid or electromagnet 43 is operative on the bearingmeans 42 to urge drive wheel 34 into operative engagement with disc 33,whenever scroll take-up is desired. In the form shown, the bearing means42 is simply a loose wraparound of part of a strap or arm 42a ofmagnetic-flux conductive material, the other end of the arm beingpivotally associated at 44 with the frame or base 10. Preferably, thatpart of the shaft 35 which is piloted on the bearing means 42 isnonmagnetic, as of brass, aluminum, wood, or the like.

The electromagnet 43 is frame-based and its armature or core sopositioned in relation to magnetic flux-conducting material of thebearing means 42 that magnet actuation necessarily draws the frictionwheel 34 into firm driving contact with its associated drive disc 33.Ordinarily, if the arm 42a has a generally vertical orientation, it willnot be necessary to resort to any special measures to locate arm 42a inthe absence of magnet excitation. However, to avoid too much loosenessof parts, I show a frame-based stop 45 determining an outer limit of arm42a and frame-based spring means 46 normally urging bearing means 42away from magnet 43 with a force which is readily overcome whenevermagnet 43 is actuated.

The parts of the drive mechanism for the other spindle 23 may be carriedon a slide 37 generally similar to the slide 37 and, since the driveparts for spindle 23 correspond exactly to those already described forthe take-up drive mechanism (spindle 22), they are merely indicated inthe diagram by primed notation of the same reference numerals.

To complete the structure of FIG. 2., the single selector control 21 isseen to comprise an electric switch of the double-throw, single-polevariety having spring means 48 to determine the center or inoperativeposition. Excitation voltage is available from a self-contained source,such as battery 49, connected to the switch 21 and selectably actuable,to engage contact 50 for the case of scroll take-up drive, or to engagecontact 51 for the case of scroll-rewind drive. Battery Voltage appliedto motor 32 via contact 50 is shown adjusted by rheostat 52, and asimilar rheostat 52 provides for similar adjustment of the rewind motor32', these adjustments being made appropriate to the basic motor-drivespeed desired for pay-out and rewind fuctions.

For the case of pay-out drive selection, contact closure at 50 alsoexcites a preferably parallel circuit to solenoid or electromagnet 43,assuring that the drive wheel 34 will only be placed in driving relationwith disc 33 at times when the motor 32 is also excited. Since therewind mechanism comprises essentially the same relation of parts as hasbeen described for take-up, it will be seen that neither one of thedrive mechanisms opposes actuation of the other, and yet each isinstantly available depending upon the selected drive direction.

In the arrangement of FIG. 5, similar parts have been given the samereference numerals; the basic difference.

3636 to the respective drive shafts. The electrical arrangement is suchthat, regardless of the Position of selector switch 21, the motor 55will be driven at a speed determined by setting of rheostat 56, but onlythe correct magnet 43 (for take-up) or 43' (for rewind) will be actuatedwhile the motor is running; in the form shown, the selector switch is ofthe double-pole double-throw variety, so that magnet selection and motorexcitation may be in parallel circuits.

Also in FIG. 5, independent radius adjustment is available for therespective drive wheels 5757, but this is achieved by merely shiftingthe drive wheels while shifting no other part of the drive mechanism.Each drive wheel thus is effectively keyed to its associated shaft 58,as along a keyed or splined length thereof. Slide means 59,longitudinally guided at 60 with respect to the frame, includes forkedelements between which the drive wheel 57 is piloted, and manuallyadjustable means 61 is externally accessible to determine the threadedengagement of rod 62 in the slide 59. Since the drive wheels 57-57 arethe only parts of the speed-adjustment mechanism which are moved, itgoes without saying that in FIG. 5 the solenoid and movable bearingstructures 42-42 are referenced directly to the frame 10 rather than viaany movable slide.

It will be appreciated that the term motor means Which has been used inconnection with elements 3232 in FIG. 3, and 55 in FIG. 5, isgenerically descriptive of a motor alone or with reduction-gearmechanism, as necessary to produce desired torque and speed for thedrive shaft. Also, in situations where adequate range of drive speed isavailable through control of the motor alone it may be desirable toemploy bevel-gear drive mechanism, as suggested at -71 in FIG. 6, inplace of the friction-wheel engagements described in connection withFIGS. 3 and 5. In the case of a gear drive 707 1, solenoid excitationwill still be effective to achieve drive engagement to the desiredspindle, depending on whether advance or rewind is indicated.

It will be seen that I have described a relatively simple device forselectively controlling the movement of scroll material 16 betweenwidely spaced guides 2849. Provision is made for independent control ofmotor speed and of drive-wheel-engagement radius for both the forwardand rewind directions of movement. All parts are basically simple andfool-proof and may be of such lightweight construction as to make thedevice completely portable, employing battery power.

While I have described the invention in detail for the preferred formsillustrated, it will be understood that modifications may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in theclaims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. A scroll-scanning device, comprising a frame including an elongatedplatten having a support surface for scroll material, first and secondscroll spindles journaled for rotation at fixed locations on said frameand at opposite longitudinal ends of said platten, means on one spindlefor removably supporting a first scroll thereon, means on the otherspindle for removably supporting a second scroll thereon, frame-basedguide means adjacent each spindle for guiding scroll material payed fromsaid first spindle to said second spindle via a supported and displayedlength immediately overstanding said support surface, each spindlehaving a drive-receiving generally radial extending member; drive-motormeans; first and second independent drive mechanism for saiddrive-receiving members, each drive mechanism including an elongatedshaft having its own universal-joint connection to said motor means, arotatable drive member carried by each shaft for edgedriving engagementwith the adjacent drive-receiving member, separate movableoutboard-bearing means supporting each shaft between its rotatable drivemember and it universal-joint connection, said bearing means being eachnormally in non-driving relation with the associated drive disc. andselectively actuable electromagnetic means for moving a selected one ofsaid bearing means to load its associted drive element intoedge-engagement with the associated drive-receiving member; saidlast-defined means also including means exciting said motor means onlyduring periods of excitation of said solenoid.

2. The device of claim 1, in which separate electromag netic means areprovided independently associated with each movable bearing means, saidselectably actuable means determining the selected one of saidelectromagnetic means for operation at any given time.

3. The device of claim 1, in which said motor means comprises separatemotors, one for each drive shaft and in which said selectively actuablemeans determine the excitation of one to the exclusion of the other ofsaid motors.

4. The device of claim 1, in which each of said drivereceiving membersis a generally radially extending disc, and each of said rotatable drivemembers is a friction wheel.

5. The device of claim 4, in which said first drive mechanism is mountedon a slide guided for displacement with respect to said frame and alongan axis such as to displace the associated drive shaft axis generallyradially with respect to the associated drive-disc axis, and manuallyoperated adjusting means determining the sliding displacement positionof said slide, whereby radiu of drive-wheel contact with its associateddrive disc is adjustably variable.

6. The device according to claim 4, in which a separate drive motor isassociated with each universal-joint and in which each drive mechanismincluding its motor is mounted on a separate slide guided with respectto said frame on a longitudinal displacement axis such as to displacethe associated drive-shaft axis generally radially with respect to theassociated spindle axis, and independent adjustably variable positioningmeans for each of said slides, whereby the radial location ofdrive-wheel engagement with the associated drive disc for each of saiddrive mechanisms may be independently variable.

7. The device of claim 1, in which said movable bearing means includesan element of magnetic flux-conducting material hingedly related to saidframe on a hinged axis offset from the associated shaft axis, and inwhich the associated electromagnetic means includes a magnetic coreclosely spaced with relation to the magnetic material of said bearingmeans.

8. The device of claim 7, in which spring means normally urges saidbearing means in a direction opposed to that determined byelectromagnetic actuation, and in which a frame-based stop limitsdisplacement of said bearing means in response to spring actuation.

9. The device according to claim 4, in which said drivemotor meanscomprises a single motor to which the shafts of said drive mechanismsare independently connected through said universal-joint connections,and in which one of said shafts includes an elongated keyed region overwhich its drive wheel may be longitudinally displaced while maintainingnon-rotating association therewith, and adjustably positionably locatingmeans for said displaceable drive wheel along its shaft.

10. The device of claim 9, in which the drive wheel for the other drivemechanism is also slidable along and keyed against rotation with respectto its shaft, and further adjustable locating means for selectivelypositioning the drive wheel of said other drive mechanism along itsshaft.

11. The device of claim 1, in which each of said drivereceiving membersis a first bevel-gear element, and each of said rotatable drive membersis a second bevel-gear element, said gear elements being poised forengagement upon actuated movement of the associated bearing means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,116,507 5/1938 Colin 40-313,364,604 1/1968 Donaldson et al. 4031 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, PrimaryExaminer RICHARD CARTER, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 242--67.4

